The Muggleborn Buddy Program
by Rule23
Summary: Hermione is thrilled when she is selected to be a Buddy in McGonagall's Muggleborn Buddy Program for new students. It promises to be an exciting year and the chance to reacquaint herself with certain members of the Weasley clan.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Despite my constant longing, I do not own Harry Potter. I am merely taking them out for a play and solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

Chapter One

Hermione was thrumming with excitement. It was the summer before her sixth year at Hogwarts and last week she had received a very official looking letter. It was not, as she had desperately hoped, her OWL results but was, instead, a letter from Professor McGonagall.

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to ask for your assistance in a program I am running at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Muggleborn Buddy Program. As I am sure you remember, starting at Hogwarts as a muggleborn can be a frightening experience. I intend to help first year muggleborns by assigning them a Buddy - an older student also from a muggle background. I feel it will be tremendously helpful for them to have someone to turn to, ask questions, and be able to relate to._

 _I would like you to be one of these Buddies. Your duties will consist of meeting the student and their family outside The Leaky Cauldron and showing them around Diagon Alley next Tuesday, meeting them at Kings Cross_ _station and getting them onto The Hogwarts Express on September 1st, and making yourself available to them during term time, listening to any questions or concerns they may have. Should you agree, this will go down on your school record and you will also be given a voucher for an international portkey (destination of your choosing) as a thank you._

 _There will be three muggleborns joining us this year, two boys and a girl, so I have also requested the help of Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finch-Fletchley. Please let me know by return owl if you will be willing to take on these extra duties._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

Hermione had confirmed her willingness immediately and was now waiting outside the record store next to The Leaky Cauldron. She was on the lookout for a red-headed girl named Evelyn Parks and her parents but she was about twenty minutes early. In the holidays, Hermione enjoyed taking advantage of muggle technology; she was listening to a lecture about muggle Archaeology in Britain on her Walkman while she waited. Eventually she spotted a hesitant looking, red-headed family and decided that it was probably them. She strode over to introduce herself, unplugging as she went.

"Hello," smiling she stretched her hand out to the father, "You must be the Parkses. My name's Hermione Granger and I'll be showing you around Diagon Alley today." She shook the hands of both Mr. and Mrs. Parks, both of whom murmured a greeting, before turning to the girl. She reached out her hand and said, "And you must be Evelyn, how are you?"

The eleven-year-old looked shy, face half hidden by her red curls, but reached out a trembling hand and said in a small voice, "Hello, I'm fine thank you. Would you mind calling me Evie instead?"

Hermione grasped her hand warmly, "Of course, Evie. I expect you're a bit nervous, I know I was when I made my first trip here. Have you had a good look at the pamphlets Professor McGonagall gave you." Evie nodded her head, reached into her pocket and drew out the small stack of pamphlets. The edges were worn and fading, she had clearly read them a good many times. "Excellent, do you have any questions before we start?" Evie shook her head this time. " Okay, let's get going then." Hermione turned and led them all through The Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley.

* * *

Evie had never seen so many wonderful things in her life. She let herself be dragged down the cobble lined street, head turning every which way so as not to miss a single thing. A lot of the windows seemed dark and empty but the rest more than made up for it. The best shop was very brightly coloured and called Weasley Wizard Wheezes, she stopped dead outside that one. Hermione had noticed what had distracted her and told her that they could visit it later. Their first stop was an enormous building made of white marble, Evie thought it look like a theatre but it turned out to be a bank. The inside was just as impressive as the outside. Evie watched the strange little men behind the counters as Hermione showed her parents where to exchange pounds for wizard money.

When they were back outside, Evie asked "What were those little men, Hermione?" The older girl looked thrilled to be asked a question. "They gave me the creeps." Hermione explained that they were goblins, very clever creatures that didn't really like wizards too much.

Hermione showed them around the shops, where to buy things like cauldrons, parchment, and her school uniform. Wizards didn't use pens, they used quills! They went into a huge bookshop called Flourish and Blotts, and here they almost lost Hermione to the shelves. Evie picked out all the books on her list, some for classes and some that were recommended reading if you were new to the wizarding world.

Next was the bit Evie had been most looking forward to: buying a wand. A magic wand! They went into a dark and dingy shop Evie hadn't even spotted and Hermione introduced her to a peculiar old man with eyes like moons. He had her stand on a chair and started measuring her and then walked to his shelves. To her astonishment, the tape measure continued to size her up by itself. The old man, Mr. Ollivander, laid a few wands out on the desk and asked her to pick each one up in turn. The fifth one she tried felt warm in her hand and, when she gave it a wave, golden sparks flew out of the end. Had she just done her first ever magic? The old wizard pronounced himself satisfied and told her that the wand was 13 inches long, surprisingly swishy, made from sycamore and contained a single dragon heartstring. Evie cradled it to her chest before placing it carefully back it its box and then into the messenger bag she was wearing.

Having stepped back out into the sunshine, Evie spotted a shop displaying hundreds of owls. Large tawny ones, pure white snowy ones, and some so small you could fit them inside a cupped hand. Hermione explained how useful it would be to have an owl to send letters home, wizards didn't use the Royal Mail like everyone else. Evie's parents were a little unsure to begin with but decided that she should have the best school experience possible. It was dark and a little smelly inside the shop and she could hear owls hooting from all directions.

Evie like one owl in particular, the storekeeper said it was a young Brown Fish Owl. It had flecks of black in its brown coat, little tufts that looked like ears, a wicked looking beak, and bright yellow eyes that made it look a little crazy. Her parents let her buy it (after a short lecture on how it was her 'responsibility') and Evie decided to call it Artemis. She also bought a cage with its name engraved into the front and lots of owl treats.

They were so laden down with bags that Evie's parents decided to take everything back to the car and let Hermione take her to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. "I've not had a chance to visit this shop yet," said Hermione, looking excited. "I know the owners, they were in my house, Gryffindor, at Hogwarts."

"What's a house?" asked Evie, curious. "Are they like the ones you get at normal schools?" She remembered something she had read in one of her pamphlets and said, "Sorry, I mean muggle schools?"

"They sure are," Hermione beamed. "There are four houses, at the start of first year you are sorted into the house that suits you the most. It's important because you sleep in your house dormitories, eat at your house table and have classes with you housemates. I'm in Gryffindor but there is also Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin."

"Do you know what house I'll be in?" asked Evie, slightly hesitant.

"I've no idea," replied Hermione. "You'll have to wait until September the first to find out!"

They were now outside the violently colourful shop and Hermione led the way in.

* * *

Shelves upon shelves of brightly packaged merchandise met Hermione's eyes as she walked into the shop. Fred and George had certainly been busy. The shop was packed with customers, filled with excited chatter. Hermione walked along, one eye glued to the shelves and the other keeping track of Evie, and abruptly walked into something warm and solid. Hands grasped around the tops of her arms and Hermione looked up into a smiling, freckled face.

"Hermione! How're you doing?" Bill Weasley asked, making sure she was steady before removing his hands. "What're you doing here?"

Blushing slightly, Hermione smiled. "I'm showing a first year round Diagon and she just begged to come in here. Can't really blame her, this place is phenomenal. What are you doing here?"

Bill flashed her a smile, blue eyes flashing in the bright light. "I just popped in to see the twins on my lunch break, I'm based in Gringotts now so it's nice to be close to the twins. This place is really great, isn't it?" He looked around, marvelling at all the products. "Anyway, I'm due back any minute. Will I see you at The Burrow this summer?"

"I expect so," said Hermione. "I'm not sure when I'll be arriving but I imagine it will be soon." Bill nodded, gave her a half-hug and a smile and then left the shop. Hermione watched him go, admiring the way the sun glinted off his fiery red hair. A tap on her shoulder shook her out of her reverie and she looked down to see Evie balancing four or five boxes in one arm. Gushing with excitement, Evie explained about the exploding playing cards, the sweets that give you different accents, and the pillow that sings you a lullaby. Hermione had to convince her to back the farting missiles.

Once Evie had bought all her joke items and Hermione had purchased a light blue Pygmy Puff that hummed contentedly in her top pocket, they made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Evie's parents. Hermione arranged to meet them at Kings Cross for the first day of school and explained to Evie that she could use her owl to send letters to her if she had any questions. Finally she handed Evie a gift wrapped copy of Hogwarts: A History and cheerfully bid the Parkses goodbye.

Hermione wandered in the direction of the Charing Cross tube station to start the journey home. She was listening to her lecture again but couldn't really concentrate. Her mind kept straying to thoughts of Bill, how hard and warm he had felt when she'd bumped into him and the tingly feeling his smile had given her. No. He was Ron's brother! She shook herself and resolved not to think on it any longer.

* * *

Bill struggled to focus on his work that afternoon, his thoughts kept wandering to the pretty brunette who had grown up a lot since he had last seen her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Hermione thought that the summer was dragging. It was cold and dark all the time, thanks to the renegade dementors, and she still had another week at home before she could escape to The Burrow, to the Weasleys, to Bill. She found herself desperate to see him again, if only to convince herself that he wasn't interested so that she could get over him. He filled her thoughts as she tried to study or work the reception desk at her parents' Dental Surgery. She actually stopped mid-sentence when she was talking to kind, old Mrs. Peterson - zoning out completely because she was thinking about him. She had to get a grip. She'd never gone to pieces over a guy before (except Lockhart, but she was twelve, it hardly counted), even when Viktor Krum was lavishing her with attention she refused to be anything less than her normal self. Seeing Bill again would definitely help, she just needed to get used to him.

Luckily she had a few things to distract her from what was rapidly becoming a serious infatuation. Crookshanks had become oddly protective of her new Pygmy Puff, Topaz; he was constantly gathering dust for the humming furball to eat and could often be seen grooming its blue fur. Hermione had no idea if Topaz was male or female and decided that it didn't really matter, she wasn't planning on getting another one. Hermione also had a letter from Evie that she needed to reply to, it had arrived earlier that morning in the beak of a very proud looking Artemis. She had pretended to be impressed with the young bird until tried to take a swipe at Topaz. Crookshanks intervened, bounding towards the owl before it could get too close and Artemis had practically jumped out the window in fright. The letter was now lying on Hermione's desk, it was written on cute Winnie-The-Pooh stationery and read:

 _To Hermione,_

 _I hope that you are doing okay! Thank you so much for 'Hogwarts: A History'. I'm already half-way through and am learning loads. I can't wait to see the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall! Is it as beautiful as it sounds?_

 _One of the books I bought in Diagon Alley was 'What Your Wand Says About You' so I've looked up mine up. Apparently, Sycamore makes a questing wand and likes adventure - this is good because I like adventures, I fell out of a tree this morning. The Dragon Heartstring means that my wand should be good at powerful spells and will learn quickly. My wand is quite long (but not uncommonly so) and the Surprisingly Swishy-ness of it means that it should be good at doing Charms. What is your wand made of? Or is that a rude question?_

 _I have been looking through the set texts for my lessons and have to say that Transfiguration and Potions look the best. Which is your favourite? Aslo, is Herbology just gardening? That's what it sounds like. I find it really strange that there aren't any books for English or Maths. Do we not need textbooks for those subjects?_

 _I can't wait to see the Library, I read all about it in Hogwarts: A History. I do have one question about it though, does it have any novels? Or should I bring some with me?_

 _I hope that you are enjoying your summer and that all this mist isn't getting you down._

 _Love from,_

 _Evie_

* * *

Evie parks was tremendously excited to start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was only the first week in July but she had packed her school trunk three times already. She was trying to figure out what exactly what she needed to take with her. Would she need many casual clothes? How many notebooks? Should she take biros in case she doesn't like using a quill? She was constantly worrying that she'd forgotten this or that, would she really need a to take all her stuffed animals or would one do?

Evie also spent a lot of time looking through her new books. She had bought a Latin-English dictionary to help her remember incantations and had been making a few notes about each of her subjects. She was pouring through 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' by Phyllida Spore when Artemis soared through her open window with a letter clasped in her sharp beak. Evie grabbed the letter, stroking Artemis' head and offering her an owl treat before sitting down to read. The letter was written on thick, creamy parchment and had a navy-coloured wax seal to keep it closed.

 _Dear Evie,_

 _I am having a bit of a boring summer if I'm honest. There's not much to do around here. I won't be bored for long though, next week I'm visiting one of my best friends, Ron Weasley (his brothers own Weasley WIzard Wheezes, the shop you loved so much). I think I will be there for the rest of the summer._

 _I am so glad that you are enjoying your books. I found looking through all of them really helpful before I started my first year at Hogwarts. I'm pleased you like the meaning behind each element of your wand. Mine also contains a Dragon Heartstring, is made of Vine and is 10 ¾ inches in length. Maybe you could look mine up in your book as well? (I don't think it's rude to ask about wands, especially those that belong to your friends.)_

 _I have a few favourite subjects, I really like Transfiguration and Charms but my favourites are ones that you can't start until your third year at Hogwarts. Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Arithmancy is my absolute favourite. The witch that teaches us, Professor Vector, is brilliant! Top in her field when she was younger and still does loads of research now. We really do have some splendid teachers. Herbology is more like Extreme Gardening, the plants often bite or leak horrible fluids but you also learn about their properties and why it is so important to know how to grow and look after them. You asked about Maths and English and I am sorry to say that we don't do either subject. The professors are always setting essays which helps people to improve their writing skills but there is very little maths at Hogwarts. I always take a maths class in the summer holidays so that I'm at the same level as muggle teenagers my age. I can recommend a tutor if you'd like (she's a witch so there are no awkward questions about why you haven't learnt it at school)._

 _Finally, the school library does not hold much in the way of fiction so I would recommend bringing some with you. That's what I do. People often lend and borrow each other's novels so you won't be stuck for something to read._

 _Best Wishes,_

 _Hermione_

Evie read the letter through twice, thrilled that she had received a reply so soon. Owl post was so fast! She ran downstairs to share the news with her parents. They were horrified that she wouldn't be doing English or Maths and thought Hermione had the right of it, learning during the holidays. It didn't look like she was going to get out of that. Hermione's letter had managed to increase her excitement for school even more. She couldn't wait to start learning magic!

* * *

Bill Weasley was sitting in the kitchen at The Burrow contemplating the blank sheet of parchment in front of him, running the various options through his mind. He was struggling to think straight, his long hair kept falling in front of his eyes and this thoughts were not where they were supposed to be. Eventually, he picked up his quill and began to write:

 _Fleur,_

 _Unfortunately, I will not be able to meet you for dinner today as a family issue has come up. I'll be sure to make it up to you next weekend._

 _Bill_

It was short, to the point, and a total lie. He sealed it up and sent it off with the ever eager Pigwidgeon, Ron wouldn't mind. Fleur was glamorous, intelligent, interesting and he was blowing her off. Today was the day Hermione arrived at The Burrow. He couldn't get the girl out of his head. Her brilliant smile and blushing cheeks filled his mind; he needed to get to know her, understand her and just spend time with her. He was angry at himself for the way he was acting but he couldn't seem to help it. Hermione must be at least eight years his junior, she didn't act it though. Mature beyond her years. And she definitely didn't look young anymore either, she had blossomed into a gorgeous young woman. He was so screwed.

* * *

Hermione tried not raise her hopes too much, there was no guarantee that he was even going to be there. Today was the day she went to The Burrow. She had had a letter from Ron containing some floo powder and a message saying that his dad had managed to get Hermione's house connected to the Floo Network between five and six pm.

She'd spent most of the day packing her trunk with everything she would need for school and the summer holidays. She had cheated a little. Hermione's time turner use in her third year meant that she had aged about nine months extra, her body had turned seventeen six months ago which meant that she had lost the Trace. The major upside to this was that Hermione could use magic outside school without getting into trouble with the Misuse of Magic office. She had been taking advantage of this technicality all summer in small ways; summoning her slippers, tidying her room, and, now, shrinking her belongs to fit neatly into her school trunk. Boring but useful.

She's said goodbye to her parents that morning, they both had full clinics today and didn't expect to be back home until later. She checked her watch again and saw that it was 5:01. Time to go. Her stomach was a mess of nerves. She took several deep breaths and told herself that he might not even be there. She was getting worked up over nothing. She threw the floo powder into the grate and stepped into the green flames shouting "The Burrow".

* * *

5:02. The fire flashed emerald. Bill's breath caught as Hermione stepped out of the flames.

* * *

She stumbled into the kitchen of The Burrow and was immediately engulfed in a hug by Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Ron grinned at her. Fred and George were laughing amongst themselves. And he was there. Sitting relaxed in one of the kitchen chairs, Bill raised a hand in greeting and flashed her a wicked smile. She felt her knees buckle slightly and her heart seemed to beat faster. She couldn't believe that he was there.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Hermione regained control of her breathing and said hello to everyone in the kitchen. She was so glad to be back at The Burrow, surrounded by some of the people she was closest to. And one person she wanted to get closer to. Ginny grabbed her feather light trunk in one hand and grasped Hermione's arm with the other. Crookshanks jumped out of her arms and made a break for the garden, no doubt for a bit of gnome chasing. She found herself being led up the stairs away from the kitchen.

Hermione liked Ginny's room, it was painted a soft yellow colour and had posters of famous female Quidditch players all over the walls. Hermione thought the team had something to do with Banshees or Harpies put she really couldn't remember. She never could get Quidditch teams straight in her head, despite all the practise Harry and Ron had given her. A large portion of Ginny's room was taken up by a set of bunk beds, Hermione always used the bottom bunk when she was here. She sat down and fished Topaz out of her pocket to see if he was alright after the floo journey.

"Oh my gosh!" squealed Ginny. "That's adorable! What is it? It looks like a tiny Puffskein."

Hermione petted the little furball happily, "It's a Pygmy Puff, I bought it at your brothers' shop. They have loads of them. It's a great little pet, doesn't really do much but Crookshanks loves it." Hermione offered Topaz in a cupped palm for Ginny to hold. "It's name's Topaz."

"It's gorgeous! I wonder if mum will let me buy one when we go and visit the shop." Topaz hummed happily in Ginny's palm and snuggled into her fingers. "It's a nice day out for a change so we've decided to do a barbeque for tea. Shall we go back down?" Ginny handed Topaz back and Hermione tucked it back inside the top pocket of her shirt.

* * *

Bill was feeling odd. He was out in the garden, poking the barbecue to life with his wand and trying not to tread on Crookshanks who was threading his way through his legs in a figure of eight pattern. He attributed the odd feeling to Hermione's arrival. When she'd stepped into the kitchen, he could do nothing but stare at her for a few seconds. She was stunning. Eventually, he had manage to flash her a smile and, it might have been his imagination but, he could have sworn that he saw her smile directly back at him.

When she'd left with Ginny he suddenly couldn't stand the stuffy air in the kitchen so had made his excuses and was now hiding in the back garden. At least he had the barbecue as an excuse. It was going to be a long night, especially if Hermione kept on those denim shorts he'd watched walking up the stairs.

* * *

They were all in the garden now, laughing, drinking butterbeer and relaxing. Bill was tending the barbecue and Hermione had to keep dragging her attention away from him (and his tight jeans) and back to the conversation she was having with the twins about how they bred Pygmy Puffs. She was impressed to learn they had done everything by the book, purchasing proper permits and everything. They said that she was lucky to have found a light blue one, they mainly came out in various shades of pink and purple.

It wasn't long before the table was heaving with delicious food and Hermione found a seat at the table. Her breath hitched slightly when she realised that Bill had taken the seat next to her, his jeans brushing her bare leg as he sat down.

"How's it going, Hermione?" He flashed her another wicked grin and turned to look at her. He was ruggedly handsome, his face covered in freckles from the Egyptian sun and his red hair fluttering in the evening breeze where it had escaped from his ponytail. Hermione had to take a steadying breath before responding, her name sounded particularly good coming from his lips, his voice deep and gravelly.

"I'm good, thanks," she could feel herself beginning to blush. "It was nice to run into you the other day." What was she saying? Those words took on a whole new meaning when you had actually collided with someone. To her relief, Bill just chuckled. "Are you living at The Burrow now?" she asked, not sure what she wanted his answer to be.

"Yeh, I am. It's easier to combine work and Order stuff staying here. Everyone is always coming and going. Not to mention the excellent meals mum provides." Bill was facing her now.

"This food is gorgeous though, and made by you," Hermione replied, "Surely you don't eat too badly by yourself." Bill chuckled again.

"I'm afraid outdoor cooking is the only type I'm good at. It's great if you're camping out at some Egyptian burial site but there's not much call for it in the UK." He was still grinning at her.

"Do you miss it?" Asked Hermione, "Being abroad?"

"I miss the sun and the action," Bill looked slightly wistful, "Curse breaking is always exciting. I do miss family and friends while I'm away though."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "It does sound exciting, all sorts of challenges to overcome and problems to solve. I would love to have a go at it. See if I'm any good."

"I'm going to check out a Welsh burial chamber this week," Bill started enthusiastically. "You could tag along if you fancy?" He paused, thinking. "You're not seventeen though yet, are you? Not allowed to do magic outside of school?" He looked a little put out at that thought.

Hermione lowered her voice and started to explain about the time turner and how she'd been doing magic all summer. The grin reappeared on Bill's face as she finished her explanation. "Don't tell anyone though," she finished. "I really don't want Ron to find out and get jealous, you know what he can be like."

"That's settled then!" exclaimed Bill. "I'm going early Tuesday morning. I'll tell mum that you're interested in the history of the place and make sure she does you a pack lunch. She won't let me make my own now that I'm home, insists on doing it for me."

Hermione was absolutely thrilled. Bill had turned to Mr. Weasley and was now discussing the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour and his new hard-line policies. She couldn't believe it! She was going try her hand at curse breaking! And Bill was going to be the one to teach her.

The rest of the evening passed in a haze of good food and fun. Everyone was happy and laughing. It was a shame Harry wasn't there yet, he would have really enjoyed the evening. Hermione had asked how he would be arriving and Mr. Weasley explained that Dumbledore would be bringing him himself the following weekend. He didn't want to risk Harry's safety by letting someone else escort him.

Time passed oddly over the next few days for Hermione. When she was by herself, reading or studying, it seemed to drag by slowly but when she was doing things with the Weasleys, watching Quidditch or helping Molly, everything seemed to speed by. Particularly if Bill was present. It was now the night before her trip with him. He'd cornered her earlier that day to say that he wanted to be out of the house by half past six and that she should join him for breakfast half an hour before hand.

Despite going to bed early, she struggled to sleep that night. She was incredibly excited, but also a little worried. What if she made an arse of herself and couldn't do what was needed? Would Bill think her stupid? Her dreams were confusing jumping between different scenes. One minute she was breaking into a tomb, the next she was wrapped in Bill's arms only to be falling the next moment. Tumbling downwards until she jolted awake with a start.

She quickly shut off her alarm clock so as not to wake Ginny, grabbed her clothes and hurried to the bathroom. It looked to be another warm day so she dressed in her denim shorts, a checked shirt, thick walking socks and her well-worn, sturdy boots. She wanted her hair out of the way but was at a loss as to what to do with it. She eventually managed to wrestle it into a messy bun; she was quite pleased with it, the bun almost looked deliberately messy and not just like she couldn't do them.

She crept downstairs to the kitchen and was surprised to find not only Bill but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well. Bill was concentrating on filling his rucksack so Hermione took the chance to admire him. He was wearing those tight jeans again and a white tee shirt that showed off his upper arms nicely, contrasting well with the loose, dark red plait that hung over one shoulder.

"Good morning, Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley trilled, making Bill start and glance towards the stairs. He was smiling softly. "Bacon sandwich, dear? Or I have eggs, toast, porridge?"

Hermione giggle slightly, Mrs. Weasley would never allow anyone to leave her house hungry. "A bacon sandwich sounds lovely," Hermione assured her. "Is the tea pot full?"

Bill responded this time. "It's just finished brewing, I'll pour you a cup. Milk no sugar, right?"

Hermione nodded, secretly thrilled that he knew how she took her tea. Within two minutes they were both sat at the table with steaming mugs of tea in front of them (he took his black, she noticed) and were tucking into Mrs. Weasley's excellent bacon sandwiches.

"How will we be getting there?" Hermione asked between mouthfuls. She'd been wondering this for a couple of days now. "Is there a nearby floo point?"

"Nah," said Bill. "This place is really in the sticks. I've been there before so I'll be taking you by side-along apparition. It's not safe to apparate straight to the site though, it's hidden in a crag. I'll get us as close as possible and then we'll fly up to it."

Hermione looked up abruptly. "I'm really not a very strong flier," she confessed, embarrassed.

Bill just smiled at her. "That's alright. I assumed that was why you never join in the Quidditch games. You can fly on the back of my broom." Her faced flushed with pleasure at this news, she really hoped that he hadn't noticed.

They soon finished their breakfasts, double-checked that they had everything and were nearly out the door when Mrs. Weasley called them back holding two thermos flasks. She explained that one was tea and the other tomato soup, to go with their sandwiches. It took them another five minutes to repack the bag so that everything fit inside but then they were off, striding out into the crisp morning sunshine.

* * *

Bill couldn't quite believe he was doing this. They would be spending the whole day together on a secluded Welsh cragtop. He was both excited and a little nervous. What if she didn't enjoy herself? What if he managed to make an arse of himself? He knew it would be all too easy for him to get distracted by those damn shorts. He's managed to spend a little time talking to her over the last few days and found her liked her all the more because of it. She really was an intelligent witch.

He knew that it wouldn't really be appropriate for anything to happen between them, even though she was technically of age. He did want to be her friend though. Someone she could talk to and rely on, he'd be content with that. It was no reason not to have a little fun with her though.

* * *

Bill was leading her down the garden path towards the apparition point. Although she'd read about apparition, she wasn't really sure about the process. "I've never apparated before," Hermione confessed. "What's going to happen?"

Bill smiled down at her, "Well first, we need to be touching." Bill suddenly pulled her against him. Her face was pressed against his warm chest and his strong arms were holding her tight. "Then you need to wrap your arms around me." His voice was low and close to her ear now, making her hair flutter gently. She slid her arms around him until they were wrapped around his waist. "And then," he whispered, "You need to hold on tight." Her fingers gripped the soft material of his shirt, there was a loud CRACK, and Hermione felt the breath she had been holding forced from her lungs as everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Hermione felt like she was being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. One moment she was being pushed in on all sides and the next she was collapsing into Bill's arms in the bright Welsh countryside, gasping for breath.

"That was awful!" She panted. Bill looked like he found her discomfort amusing.

"You get used to it," said Bill. He made sure she was steady on her feet before letting go of her arms.

Once Hermione had got her breath back she had a look around her. The view was breathtaking. They were on a small plateau halfway up a rocky crag, a beautifully green valley spread out below them and a rocky cliff face loomed above. It was beautiful.

"We're going up there," Bill pointed to a small outcropping about 100 feet above them. She felt her nerves show themselves again as he pulled the shrunken broomstick from the backpack and returned it to its normal size. "Would you mind wearing the rucksack while we're flying? It'll be easier for you to hold on to me that way?" Hermione nodded and slipped it over her shoulders. "Ready?" Bill flashed and grin at her and threw one leg over the broom.

Hermione carefully sat down behind him and slid her arms around his waist once more. She could feel his stomach muscles beneath his shirt and decided to let them distract her, she hadn't flown since her compulsory lessons in first year and was more than a little nervous. Bill kicked off smoothly from the ground and Hermione buried her face in his back so she couldn't look down. His hair was tickling her nose and she could just about make out its fresh, clean scent.

Within a few minutes, Bill set them down on the right outcrop and Hermione stumbled off the broom. Bill shrank it again, put it away and then took the rucksack back, shouldering it. He took out his wand, Hermione copying him and led her towards a narrow fissure in the rock. As they got closer, she saw that the gap in the rock was just wide enough to slip through.

" _Lumos_ ," Bill's wand tip lit up and he led the way inside the mountain. It was cool in the cave and the air smelt dank. She followed Bill through a narrow passageway to what looked, to her, like blank stretch of wall.

"Right, Hermione! Most wizarding burial chambers are protected by all sorts of charms, curses and hexes. The Mayans used to set physical traps as well magical ones and the Egyptians were very fond of disfiguring curses. The Welsh were more into charms. Although wizards like to keep burial chambers a secret, they normal can't help marking the spot some how."

"By using a hidden symbol or something?" Hermione asked. Bill nodded in agreement. "So it might be best to start by using a Revealing Charm?" She looked again to Bill to see if she was right.

"Yep, that's where I normally start. Unless it's an Egyptian tomb, they have great pyramids on top, it's a dead give away." At this, Hermione burst into a small fit of giggles.

When she'd calmed down, she raised her wand, tapped the wall and said very clearly " _Aparecium."_ See watched with rapt attention as letters appeared carved into the rock spelling the word 'Eira'. Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment and the said, "Isn't Eira the name of that Welsh witch from the twelfth century? Didn't she cause an enormous blizzard to bring an end to the 1109 Goblin Uprising? I seem to remember Professor Binns telling us about that a couple of years ago."

Hermione looked to Bill and saw that he looked impressed. "That's very well remembered, " Bill smiled at her making her cheeks flush with pride. "I believe that this is her burial chamber. She was important enough to deserve one and certainly had enough riches to warrant a tomb.

"To enter places like this, you normally have to pay the price of entry. To find out what the price is, I know a very useful little charm. You place the palm of your hand to the wall, rest your wand on your wrist," he directed Hermione's hand to the correct position with his own, "and say ' _sumptus_ '." Hermione did so and immediately felt a slow, hypnotic vibration humming through her hand.

"The most common costs are blood which feels like a sharp tingling; gold which feels smooth and warm; song which feels like a vibrating pulse; and sacrifice which feels icy cold. Don't worry though, we don't sacrifice people to get at treasure. I once felt one that was asking for tears, it felt like cool water was running over my hand. What do you think this one requires?" Bill was watching her marvel at the sensation.

"This one feels like it requires song, my hands pulsing with a vibration." Hermione felt quite pleased with this new charm. "Do we sing anything in particular?"

"Not normally, I tend to use the Hogwarts School Song." He placed his hand on the wall and began to sing in a smooth baritone, Hermione thought he sounded lovely and was loath to spoil it with her own singing voice. Once he had sung a few lines, the wall shivered slightly and then dissolved into nothing. Hermione, who had not been expecting this fell forwards as the wall beneath her hand disappeared. She felt Bill's hands wrap around her arms, steadying her. He always seemed to be there to catch her.

* * *

Bill stared into the darkness of the cavern that had just opened up before them, he felt Hermione shiver under his fingers and hurriedly let her go. He conjured a ball of light and sent it to hang high in the cavern, bathing everything with a soft, golden light. He heard Hermione gasp as she saw the ornate tomb at the far end of the cavern. It was piled with glistening sapphires and heaps of silver.

"Do you know the adapted Revealing Charm, for showing hidden magic?" Hermione shook her head. " _Aparecium magicis,"_ Bill intoned, waving his wand in a sweeping motion from ceiling to floor. The ground in front of them began to glow a sickly green and the tomb itself an angry red.

Hermione gasped again, "What do the colours mean?" she asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Doesn't green normally signify some sort of hex?"

Bill had to admit that he was impressed. "You're absolutely right. It means the floor isn't safe to walk on, probably either a stinging or sticking hex but it could be a lot more sinister. The floor over by the tomb isn't glowing though. We can just fly over to the safe ground. I'm a bit disappointed really, I was expecting this place to be better protected after all the trouble they'd gone to conceal its existence."

Hermione was nodding thoughtfully. "And what does that awful red colour mean?" She shivered a little as she asked.

"It means that the tomb was sealed with blood magic," Bill watched as distaste marred Hermione's normally pleasant features. "I'll run a diagnostic when we get closer to see if there's anything we can do about breaking the seal. I doubt we'll be able to though, blood magic is always a tricky business."

Bill dug the broom out of the rucksack and enlarged it again, handed Hermione the bag and swung a leg over the handle. Hermione hesitated for just a moment before he felt her climb onto the broom behind him. It was certainly pleasant, sitting astride a broom with a gorgeous girl pressed up close behind him. It made him feel like one of those cool muggle bikers, maybe he should look into getting a flying motorbike like Hagrid's. He kicked off from the ground hard and within seconds they were dismounting on the other side of the cavern .

"What do you do with the treasure?" Hermione asked. She was looking at a pile of sapphires, features bathed in the soft blue light they reflected. "Bill?" she asked when he didn't reply. He gave himself a mental shake and tried to remember what she had been asking.

"Most of it goes to Gringotts," he held up the cloth bag he always brought with him on a job. "I put it inside here and it reappears in a vault at Gringotts. All the curse breakers have separate vaults for work stuff, that way the goblins can keep track of who has brought in what. We're allowed to keep a piece or two so let me know if anything catches your eye." He started to load up the bag methodically. Precious metal first, then the gems, followed by the odd little trinkets and knick knacks. Hermione had spotted a delicate silver necklace that was covered in tiny etched runes and studded with small pinpricks of blue gems.

"This is gorgeous," she exclaimed. "I should probably check that it's not dangerous though. _Aparecium magicis_." She swept her wand over the necklace and it gave of a gentle yellow glow.

"That means it carries a protection charm," Bill said, answering her unasked question. "It should be perfectly safe to wear." He took the necklace from her and helped to fasten the clasp at the back of her neck, carefully not to trap the soft, curling hair that had escaped her bun. "It really suits you," he said as she turned to face him and he was rewarded with a shy smile.

"What now?" she asked, turning her mind now to the job at hand. "Do we just need to find out what kind of blood magic has sealed the tomb?" He nodded and showed her how to cast the tricky little diagnostic charm. She managed it on her second try. The tomb had been sealed with familial blood magic which meant that there was nothing more that they could do in the tomb.

Hermione watched him carefully as he extracted a memory of the tomb, using his wand tip to pull it from his temple, and sealed it inside an unbreakable glass vial. "This," he explained, holding up the vial, "goes to the Department of Records at the Ministry and is stored in their archives for posterity. I'm not sure what they do with them there but it means we have a record of all the magical sites we find."

* * *

It took a surprisingly short time for them to fly out of the cavern and back down to the plateau they had arrived on. A quick check of her watch told Hermione it was two o'clock, had they really been out here that long? She blushed as her stomach rumbled loudly and hoped that Bill hadn't heard. She watched as he casually transfigured a leaf into a checked picnic blanket, he really was a very gifted wizard. She often forgot that he had been Head Boy and got top marks in all his exams - something she attributed to his 'bad boy' appearance. Not that she was complaining.

They settled down onto the blanket and tucked into the veritable feast Mrs. Weasley had forced on them that morning. They had tomato soup and cheese sandwiches, grapes and apple slices, and a fat sticky bun each. Hermione was heartily embarrassed when Bill pointed out that she'd managed to get icing all over her face. Bill just smiled at her though, handing her a napkin, instead of taking the mick as Ron would have done.

It seemed a shame to leave such a lovely place. They lay back on the blanket, enjoying the sun, and started to reminisce about Hogwarts. Bill told her how he had once got detention from McGonagall; he had been caught up in an Ancient Runes project he'd been doing and lost all track of time. The professor had found him with five blackboards full of calculations at three in the morning and went ballistic. Hermione told him all about setting Professor Snape's robes on fire back in first year and then about how she's stolen from his private stores to brew Polyjuice Potion the following year. Looking back, she realised it was a miracle she hadn't been caught on either occasion. Professor Snape would have had her expelled before she could blink.

She really enjoyed chatting to him. He had done so much since he'd left school and his life seemed so exciting. Not for the first time, she considered becoming a Curse Breaker herself. She was disappointed when Bill noticed the time and decided that they should get back to The Burrow.

Just as they were about to apparate, she asked, "Bill? Do you think I could tag along the next time you do something like this? I've really enjoyed it and learned loads."

Bill smiled, "Of course, you've been good company." He pulled her close and disapparated with a CRACK.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Where have you been?" Ron was blocking Hermione's way up the stairs. She had just got back with Bill and was going to change. "You didn't tell me you were going off anywhere today." He was right, she hadn't. She didn't want him to tag along and spoil her day with Bill, he could normally manage to find a way to make everything about him.

"Sorry, Ron, I forgot to mention it," she lied. "I went with Bill to a tomb, I wanted to learn more about Curse Breaking; I'm considering it as a career." At least that was partly the truth.

"What if I wanted to do it too, eh?" Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you'd be interested, you haven't done the right OWL subjects for it."

"Whatever," Ron barged past her and stomped off to the living room. Somehow, Ron always managed to ruin special occasions for her, the Yule Ball in particular came to mind.

* * *

Bill watched Ron and Hermione's exchange from the kitchen. His youngest brother had absolutely no idea how to talk to women, it was a wonder Hermione hadn't hit him before now. Ron clearly fancied the clever witch and he could hardly blame him, fancy was too mild a word for how Bill was beginning to feel about her. Not that he was going to do anything about it.

His life had been going great until Hermione had walked into him. Things had been going well with Fleur, they were almost officially together but now everything had changed. He couldn't lead Fleur on whilst thinking about Hermione and he couldn't do anything about the Hermione thing. She was of age but still way too young, she should be with someone her own age, someone she could see at Hogwarts. He'd just have to deal with it, be her friend but nothing more.

* * *

Hermione was in a foul mood by the time she had stomped up the stairs to Ginny's room. How dare Ron speak to her like that? She always seemed to have done something wrong; owning a cat, looking out for Harry, finding a date when he hadn't asked her. She was doing her best and he always managed to find fault. It was driving her crazy. She kicked off her boots and sank down onto the bottom bunk, crackling as she did so. She had sat down on a light blue envelope, it looked like she had another letter from Evie to distract her.

 _Hello Hermione!_

 _I'm on holiday in Amsterdam with my parents at the moment! I was just thinking of writing you a letter and, next thing I knew, Artemis turned up at my hotel room! How cool is that? Can all owls read your mind like that?_

 _Amsterdam is lovely but Mum is dragging me and Dad through all kinds of museums. I have seen enough boring paintings to last a lifetime but Anne Frank's House was pretty cool. Imagine being cooped up because you were being hunted for something that wasn't even your fault! It would be dreadful. Mum bought me a copy of her diary, I'm going to bring it to Hogwarts to read._

 _We are spending a week in The Netherlands, a week in Germany and a week in Italy. We came by ferry so it took AGES! Is there any Wizarding stuff to keep an eye out for in those countries? It might be cool to see foreign wizards and witches._

 _What have you been up to? Are you having fun at your friend's house? Is everyone in their family a witch or a wizard? If they are, are there lots of magical things in the house? I read in one of my books that magic and electricity don't work well together. Do they have electricity in their house? How can people manage without electricity? I go mad if I don't have my Gameboy._

 _Hope to hear from you soon (you should probably let Artemis rest for bit first, she must be very tired)._

 _Love from,_

 _Evie_

Evie was certainly full of questions! It was nice to see from someone new to the wizarding world, most new muggleborns just hung back and tried not to draw attention to themselves. Reading the letter had driven Ron from her mind. She remembered when she had been as curious as Evie, but Hermione supposed that she still was curious. She'd had a great time learning about curse breaking today and she always enjoyed learning something new. Not for the first time, she was glad that she had agreed to be a part of The Muggleborn Buddy Program; it was great to help a kindred spirit find her way around the wizarding world.

* * *

The rest of the week passed slowly, Ron barely spoke to her so Hermione spent most of her time with Ginny who had agreed to teach her to fly in secret. She also taught her how to do a French Manicure so a lot of time was spent doing each other's nails and gossiping. She barely saw Bill outside of the evening meal, he was busy at work but always saved her the seat next to him at dinner. She still felt a small thrill when she sat down with him and they would talk all the way through the meal.

She awoke early Sunday morning and crept down to the kitchen where she found Mrs. Weasley. Did she ever sleep?

"Does Harry arrive today, Mrs. Weasley?" she asked as the matronly woman poured her a massive mug of tea.

"He arrived late last night," she stifled a yawn. "He was very tired so I thought we'd let him sleep in this morning."

"Great!" Hermione beamed. She couldn't wait to talk to him, she'd been a little worried ever since term ended in June. He'd not seemed himself and she wanted to make sure that he was doing okay. "I'm so glad he arrived safely."

Hermione got on with buttering some toast and got lost in her own thoughts as the Weasleys slowly filtered down from their beds and into the kitchen. Ron was the last to arrive and had to be forcibly restrained when he found out that Harry had arrived in the night. Eventually, they were allowed up to see him, Ron dashed away without a thought but Hermione volunteered to take a tray of breakfast for him.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione said brightly as she pushed the door Fred and George's room open with her foot so that she could keep the heavily laden tray balanced. She would have much prefered to carry it with magic but it wouldn't do to make the boys jealous. "How are you doing?" she asked, placing the tray on his lap.

He looked drawn and tired, clearly still blaming himself for Sirius' death. She wished he wouldn't but survivor's guilt was a strange thing, it was something only time would help. Ron was trying to subtly find out about what Harry had been doing with Dumbledore, he was being so subtle it took Hermione asking outright for Harry to realise he was even being asked a question.

"Not much really," shrugged Harry, yawning. "Went to convince this bloke called Slughorn to come and teach at Hogwarts and then came straight here." Ron looked so obviously crestfallen that Harry noticed. "Why? What did you think we were up to?"

"We thought it'd be about the prophecy." Ron blurted out, sheepish look on his face.

Harry frowned slightly, he looked slightly guilty. "Dumbledore actually told me all about it at the end of term, I just wasn't ready to talk about it." Ron looked like he was about to interrupt but Hermione elbowed him sharply in the ribs before he could get his mouth open. "The orb in the Department of Mysteries wasn't the only record of it. It was made to Dumbledore by Trelawny when he was interviewing her for the Divination job. It was the only reason he ended up hiring her. He showed it to me in his Pensieve."

Hermione was horrified. She had listened to Harry recite the prophecy and had barely managed to keep her hand from covering her mouth in dismay. How could Dumbledore have kept this from him for so long? She planned to write down the prophecy as soon as she could escape to Ginny's room. She knew Dumbledore must have analysed is over and over but a fresh pair of eyes was hardly going to hurt.

Hermione zoned back into Harry and Ron's conversation when she heard the words 'OWL Results' and asked Harry to repeat himself. "Dumbledore said that they should be arriving sometime today."

Without even saying bye to the boys, Hermione tore down the many stairs and dashed into the kitchen, running smack into someone.

"Ouch! Sorry!" She looked up, rubbing her nose, and saw Bill looking down at her, wry smile on his face.

"We've got to stop running into each other like this!" Bill was making fun of her but she didn't really mind, the teasing was nice and made her feel special. He gave her upper arm a gentle squeeze and then dodged past her and carried on up the stairs.

Hermione just stood there for a moment, exam results blown completely out of her mind. Her arm felt warm where he had touched it and her stomach was feeling more than a little fluttery. She shook herself and continued into the kitchen.

"Mrs. Weasley! Have there been any owls this morning?" Hermione nearly shouted this at her but managed to restrain herself.

"Nothing dear, I haven't seen an owl all morning," replied Mrs. Weasley and carried on bustling about the kitchen. Hermione paced back and forth by the window until Mrs. weasley suggested she sit down and have a cup of tea. She threw herself into a kitchen chair and was very pleased when Crookshanks slinked in from the garden and jumped onto her lap. Her nosed at her top pocket until she fished out Topaz for him to coddle. She'd taken to keeping it there so that she could keep an eye on it and often felt comforted by its purring presence. Her pets always managed to instill a sense of calm whenever things inside her head were getting a bit chaotic. They were working wonders now, she focused on them and didn't even notice when the everyone else came downstairs.

When she next looked up, three owls were swooping in through the kitchen window. A tawny one landed in front of her, a crisp looking envelope between its beak. Her hand shook slightly as she took the letter and broke the Ministry of Magic seal on the reverse. No one was speaking as Hermione slid out the single sheet of parchment inside.

 _ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

 _Pass Grades: Outstanding (O), Exceeds Expectations (E), Acceptable (A)_

 _Fail Grades: Poor (P), Dreadful (D), Troll (T)_

 _HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER HAS ACHIEVED:_

 _Ancient Runes O_

 _Arithmancy O_

 _Astronomy O_

 _Care of Magical Creatures O_

 _Charms O_

 _Defense Against The Dark Arts E_

 _Herbology O_

 _History of Magic O_

 _Potions O_

 _Transfiguration O_

Hermione sighed in relief, she had the grades she had been expecting. If only she hadn't screwed up with the boggart! She had struggled in her third year against one and again in the OWL exam. She would have to find one and practise hard for the NEWTS.

She looked to Harry and Ron and saw they looked reasonably happy and were discussing their results. "How'd you do Hermione?" asked Ron and snatched her results out of her hand before she had chance to respond. "All Os of course, except ..." he paused for a moment, "Harry! You beat her in DADA. She only got an E!" Ron looked practically gleeful and Hermione tried to hide her hurt. He didn't see her belittling their exam results, why did he feel the need to do it to her?

She snatched back her parchment and Ron mistook her anger at him as anger at her grades and continued to tease her. She was soon on the verge of tears and, rather than let him see her cry, she escaped from the kitchen to the relative quiet of Ginny's bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Hermione didn't talk to Ron if she could help it for the rest of the holiday. She focused on her school assignments, writing to Evie (her questions about magic were practically endless), and talking to Bill whenever he was around. There hadn't been an opportunity to visit any more tombs since the first, Bill had been chained to his desk with paperwork and was still trying to pin down any possible blood relatives of Eira but he hadn't had any luck so far. Hermione planned to do some research of her own once she had access to the exceptional Hogwarts Library.

On the last evening of August they had another BBQ dinner to celebrate the end of the holidays. The food was delicious and Hermione had plenty of opportunity to chat with Bill. They mainly discussed the tomb they had visited together and Bill filled her in on what he had found so far. Their legs brushed occasionally under the table, sending a small thrill through Hermione every time it happened. At the end of the meal, Bill handed her a stack of his duplicated Eira notes to take with her to school. She glanced down at them and saw a note scrawled on a scrap paper at the top of the stack. ' _Meet me in the garden once everyone has gone to bed.'_ Shocked, she looked up but Bill had already left the table and was levitating the dirty dishes back inside.

She couldn't really concentrate for the rest of the evening; sat in the living room, she read the same paragraph of _Advanced Potion Making_ five times before giving up and slamming the book closed, startling Ginny who was sat near by. She fished Topaz out of her top pocket and just sat with the little blue furball purring contentedly in her hand. It wasn't long before people started yawning and making their way to bed. Hermione told Ginny that she would be up soon and, once everyone else had left the living room, she pulled on her jumper and made her way towards the garden.

* * *

Bill was pacing back and forth at the far end of the garden. What was he thinking? Was he really about to tell Hermione that her liked her? She was still in school! And yet she was the most interesting person he knew, mature beyond her years. He wanted to be in her life, even if it meant that their main mode of communication would have to be letters. He had used any excuse he could to talk to her this summer and it still hadn't been enough as far as he was concerned.

As he turned to start walking in the other direction he saw the back door open and stopped dead as Hermione made her way towards him. Even dressed in an over sized Weasley jumper she was gorgeous. He could see her boisterous curls blowing about in the breeze and couldn't help but grin like a loon as she made her way towards him.

"Hi," she smiled at him when she got close enough. "What's up?"

He was suddenly tongue tied. What was wrong with him? Just tell her. She kept looking up at him expectantly, a little confused. He tried to speak but couldn't find the words. Instead, he slipped his arms around her waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her. He felt her gasp in surprise and then she practically melted against him, kissing him back, her arms finding their way around his neck.

* * *

He was kissing her. Actually kissing her. Hermione had to dig her fingernails into her hand just to check that she wasn't dreaming. She should have known because this was far better than any of the Bill dreams she had, after about thirty seconds her face was flushed and she could feel the familiar heat pool between her thighs. She could not believe this was happening. When breathing became difficult she pulled back slightly and just stared into his eyes. They were flashing brightly and his breath was as ragged as her own.

He was the one to break the silence. "Hermione," he breathed in barely more than a whisper. "I think we should keep in touch when you go back to school." He chuckled a little and shook his head. "I think about you constantly, you're all I've been dreaming about recently. I think you're incredible." She could still not believe this was happening. She tried to respond, but couldn't find the words and just kissed him again instead.

They ended up on the bench at the bottom of the garden. Hermione sat straddled across his lap and Bill was taking advantage of the easy access to her neck, the small, fluttering kisses made Hermione squirm, grinding herself into the erection straining against his jeans. Why had it taken so long for them to do this?

Eventually, Bill said that they had better get to bed before they were discovered. He gently kissed her forehead before helping to her feet and intertwining his fingers with hers. They made their way to the house hand in hand and he walked her all the way to Ginny's bedroom door.

"Goodnight," he whispered in her ear. "I'll write as often as I can." He gave her a last kiss, chaste and sweet, before turning away and heading up to his room. Hermione took a moment to compose herself. There was no way she would be sleeping tonight. When her breathing had returned to normal and the flush retreated from her cheeks, she carefully opened the bedroom door and crept into the dark room. She could hear Ginny's light snoring and got undressed as quietly as possible. She remembered packing her pajamas earlier and so stripped down to her tank top and knickers and slipped between the cool sheets of her bed. She could not remember the last time she had felt so content.

* * *

The harsh clanging of her alarm clock jolted her awake. She rushed through her morning routine and made it through the bathroom in record time. She checked her trunk thoroughly, making sure all her belongings had made their way back into it and almost missed the small bunch of bluebells on her pillow. They must have been put there whilst she was in the bathroom. She smiled as she picked up the note that was attached to them.

 _H -_

 _Sorry I can't be there to see you off, I got called into work (on a SUNDAY!). I will write very soon._

 _\- B xo_

Hermione was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see him but was touched by the note and flowers. They were beautiful. She carefully cast a stasis charm over them and tucked them carefully inside her trunk.

The kitchen was utter madness, she managed to grab a bacon sandwich before it made its way to the human garbage disposal that was Ron and gulped down a quick cup of tea. She really should have set her alarm for earlier. She said goodbye to everyone and then went out to the garden to use the portkey McGonagall had sent to her so that she would be on time to meet Evie to take her to Platform 9 ¾. At 10:24 precisely, the button clasped in her hand activated, she felt a tug behind her navel and then she was thrown to the ground. She had managed to land in a heap behind a large red rubbish bin.

She really didn't have the hang of portkeys yet, that was the third one she had used and her landings were not getting any better. Looking around, she quickly figured out where she needed to be and head off to the main entrance of Kings Cross station, trunk in tow. Evie and her family were already waiting for her, the young girl was bouncing up and down waving exuberantly. Hermione gave her a wave back and hurried over to them.

"Hello," she greeted them all with a smile. "It's so great to see you again."

Evie beamed at her. "I'm so excited! Are we going to the train now?" She was practically trembling with excitement. Hermione led them through the sleepy station to the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "I'm afraid this is where we need to leave your parents, they can't follow us onto the platform because they aren't magical." Hermione turned to give the small family some privacy whilst they said their goodbyes.

* * *

Evie got a little teary eyed as she said goodbye to her mum and dad. She had never really been away from home and, despite her excitement, was a little bit nervous. Her parents let her go from their embrace rather reluctantly and gave her a final smile before leaving the station.

"Right!" said Hermione. "Ready to get onto the platform?" Evie nodded, her excitement returning to full force. "Okay, take my hand. We're going to walk through that wall." Evie couldn't quite believe it but took the hand offered to her. Could this possibly work? They walked straight towards it, Evie closed her eyes at the last second, right before the impact. It never came, she felt slightly cold for a second and then she opened her eyes. A bright scarlet steam train was on the tracks in front of her, fluffy white clouds issuing from its chimney. It was amazing.

Hermione showed her onto the train and recommend she sit in a compartment near the front. She explained that new students tended to go for these compartments, she would meet people just like her in no time. Hermione wouldn't be able to sit with her for the trip, she was a Prefect and had certain responsibilities but she had promised to look in every now and again. They said goodbye and it wasn't long before a nervous looking girl came into the compartment.

"Hi," Evie smiled at the new comer. "My name's Evie. Would you like to sit with me?" She received a cautious nod in reply and the girl took a sit opposite her. Her name was Astoria Greengrass and she had long blond hair that she wore in two plaits. The two got along well very quickly, Astoria was soon complaining that her elder sister, a sixth year like Hermione, had ditched her as soon as they got on the train.

"That was rubbish of her!" Evie exclaimed. "Why'd she do that?"

Astoria shrugged, "Probably doesn't want to be seen with me, probably thinks that people will think she's lame for hanging out with a little kid." She tried to act cool about it but Evie could tell that it had upset her.

Evie decided a change in subject was in order. "What house do you think you'll be sorted into, Astoria? I'm hoping for Gryffindor."

"You can call me Tori if you like," she bit her lip before responding to the actual question. "My family are expecting me to be sorted into Slytherin like my sister. I don't think that's right for me though, I really like the idea of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I guess we'll see tonight." She looked a little worried and chewed her lip.

"How cool would it be if we were in the same house?" Evie was getting excited again. They spent a little while talking about what Hogwarts was going to be like and were joined by a few more girls before there was an incredibly loud honking noise and the train started to leave the station.

* * *

During the train ride, Hermione barely had a moment to sit down. The younger students were being particularly rowdy today and she had handed out three detentions already. Ron, of course, was being useless; he slunk off half an hour into the journey and left her to do the majority of the patrolling. She managed to look in on Evie a couple of times and was just about to buy herself a pumpkin pasty for lunch when a loud explosion erupted from the cabin behind her. She rushed to investigate, terrified of some kind of attack, when a noxious smell hit her nose. She quickly cast a bubble-head charm and carried on into the offending compartment. One of the third years hadn't stored there potion ingredients properly, causing an explosion when the train hit a bump.

" _Evanesco_ ," Hermione vanished the ingredients and smoke and proceeded to lecture the hapless Hufflepuff in proper ingredient management. She could tell he wasn't paying her a blind bit of notice and so she gave him a detention (17 inches on why proper care should be taken when storing volatile ingredients).

It was with great relief that Hermione got off the train at Hogmede Station and clambered into a carriage to take her up to the castle.

"First Years this way!" A deep, booming voice rang out over the crowd, Evie and Tori scurried along the platform towards the source. An enormous man, twice as tall and three times the width of a normal one, was calling out to all the new students. Evie probably would have been a little scared if Hermione hadn't already told her all about Hagrid. She flashed a reassuring smile at Tori, who relaxed a little. Once all the first years had gathered round, they were led to a small fleet of rowing boats and clambered inside them in pairs.

The boats moved by themselves! They were gliding across a huge black lake and soon a magnificent castle loomed out of the fog. Evie had seen pictures of the castle in _Hogwarts: A History_ but they did not do the real thing justice. She had never seen anything like it and could not quite believe that this amazing place was going to be her home. The journey went by reasonably quickly and soon they were walking through enormous wooden doors in to a massive entrance hall. A very stern looking woman dressed in dark green robes was waiting for them at the top of a marble staircase. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun and she wore a very stern expression. Looking around at each other nervously, the new students began the climb towards her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat bellowed as it was removed from the head of Astoria Greengrass. A burst of applause broke out from the Gryffindor table but no one was clapping harder than Evie Parks, who was still waiting to be sorted. She stood impatiently, foot tapping, as the rest of her year mates were sorted into the various houses.

"Parks, Evelyn," said Professor McGonagall and she nearly tripped over her robes in her haste to get to the rickety little stool. The stern professor placed the dirty looking hat on her head and Evie jumped when a small voice spoke directly into her mind.

"Hmmm … I don't think there's much to figure out here," the hat said in a quiet voice. "Adventurous and daring, you belong in GRYFFINDOR!" The last word was bellowed loudly to the hall and Evie practically ran to red and gold table and found a seat next to a grinning Tori. Hermione beamed at her from further down the table but the smile seemed to vanish quickly and she looked worried. Evie frowned a little in confusion but quickly became absorbed in a conversation with Tori about what their classes would be like.

* * *

Where the hell was Harry? Hermione was worried sick. She could barely pay attention through the sorting and was distracted all through dinner. Ron was sat nearby and shoveling food into his mouth without a care in the world.

He tried to string a sentence together through a mouth full of food but Hermione just looked at him disgusted and waited for him to finish his mouthful. "I'm sure he'll turn up," Ron shrugged and didn't seem concerned in the least.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened half way through pudding and Harry walked into the hall accompanied by Professor Snape. He threw himself down into the seat next to her and she gasped when she saw the dried blood covering his nose.

"Oh Harry, you're covered in blood," she took out her wand to siphon the blood away. " _Tergeo._ Where on earth have you been?"

Harry gave her and Ron a look that promised a full explanation later.

* * *

The night carried on in the same awful vein as it had started. Professor Snape was now going to be teaching them DADA, she knew this was going to make Harry and Ron unbearable in those classes. Draco Malfoy had caught Harry spying on him and Harry himself seemed to be developing a paranoia about people conspiring against him. It was going to be a dreadful year.

It was past eleven by the time Hermione had finished her rounds as a Prefect and slowly made her way up the stairs to the Girl's Dormitories. Parvati and Lavender seemed to be asleep so she quietly made her way to her bed, got undressed and was about to climb under the duvet when she spotted an envelope on her pillow. Her first name was scrawled on the front in green ink and Hermione's pulse quickened slightly as she recognised Bill's handwriting. She hurried to get settled into bed and then carefully slit open the envelope to read.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _I know I said I would write soon, but I wasn't expecting to send something the very day you left. I couldn't help myself. I was gutted about not seeing you off this morning. I hope you arrived safely and that the little snot-rags didn't give you too much trouble on the train._

 _I miss our conversations already, it's practically impossible to hold an intelligent discussion with anyone else I know. I don't just miss you for our conversations though, I can't stop thinking about last night. I get hard thinking about the way you felt on my lap. It's very inconvenient if I'm in a meeting or talking with a colleague, thank Merlin I wore robes today and not a pair of jeans._

 _I hope you have a great first day tomorrow and hope to hear from you soon._

 _Thinking of you (a lot),_

 _Bill xo_

Hermione was blushing furiously by the time she finished reading. No one had ever sent her a letter like this before, whenever Viktor had written it had always been sweet and wistful. This was much more fun. Her body was tingling all over and her hand slowly find its way over her stomach and under the waistband of her pajama shorts. She tried to be as quiet as she could as her fingers slipped into her tight, wet heat and thought about how good Bill's hard body had felt pushed against her. She soon came, panting heavily, and fell exhausted into sleep.

* * *

Evie woke up earlier than usual. She was so excited to start learning about magic. She hurried to get washed and dressed before packing her school bag, it took her about half an hour to have it just the way she wanted and Tori was dressed and ready to go by the time she was finished. They made their way down to breakfast using a hand-drawn map Hermione had made and sent to her during the summer. Hermione had carefully marked and labelled all the places Evie would need to find until she learnt her way around.

Five minutes later, they were sat at the Gryffindor table eating pancakes covered in lemon and sugar with hot chocolate to drink. She could definitely get used to this Hogwarts breakfast thing. The hall slowly began to fill up around them and the noise level grew. It was funny watching some of the older students, a lot of them appeared half asleep and refused to talk to anyone until they had gulped down a cup of coffee. Evie hoped she was never that boring.

They were just deciding whether they should try a second helping of pancakes when Professor McGonagall started walking the length of the table, handing out timetables. Some she handed out quickly but when she reached the clump of people sat around Hermione, the process seemed to get a little more complicated and not everyone looked happy. Eventually, the professor made her way to where they were sitting and handed them copies of their timetables. Evie was thrilled to see she had double periods of both Charms and Transfiguration in the morning, a single period of History of Magic after lunch followed by double Herbology. She had managed to fit all her books into her bright yellow backpack and so she and Tori rushed off to find the Charms classroom. No way were they going to be late on their first day.

Their Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick was the smallest, squeakiest man she had ever met. She and Tori had to stifle their giggles at one point because he waved his wand so exuberantly and nearly toppled off the precarious stack of books he was standing on to see over his desk. He taught them basic wand movements, having them practise and take notes after each one. When they had mastered the four basic movements - the swish, flick, jab, and vertical swoosh - he taught them the _Lumos_ spell. It was the simplest charm to perform and nearly everyone managed it after three of four tries. One of the Hufflepuffs had trouble though, he was a little too enthusiastic and set fire to his notes accidentally.

After a short break, in which they dropped their excess books off at Gryffindor Tower, they had Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Before the door had snapped closed, Evie could tell that this was going to be a far more serious class. Professor McGonagall seemed strict and exacting but she explained everything very clearly as she showed them precise wand movements. By the end of the lesson, Evie's brain felt seriously full and she was relieved to get to lunch, bolting down a bowl of tomato soup and a cheese sandwich. She wanted chance to have a look around the library before History of Magic.

* * *

Hermione had escaped the hustle of lunch and was wandering around the library. She wasn't really looking for anything in particular, just running the tips of her fingers along the spines and thinking about the letter she received last night. She had been in something of a blissful haze this morning, the boys hadn't seemed to notice but Ginny had definitely thrown a couple of confused looks in her direction. She felt like she had a dirty little secret, and it felt great.

"Ouch!" Hermione came to a halt, she had nearly tripped over Evie who was sitting crossed legged on the floor, looking at the lower shelves of the Transfiguration section.

Blushing slightly, Hermione apologised and sat down next to the precocious First Year. "What are up to?" She asked.

"Just looking for a book to help with the homework Professor McGonagall set us. We have to write twelve inches on why learning the theory is crucial to success in Transfiguration. I have my textbook but I wanted to find something else to supplement the essay. She seems super strict so I'd like to do well." She looked a little embarrassed.

Hermione just beamed at her. "I know just the book," she stood and reached for a dark blue book on a higher shelf, _Theoretical Transfiguration_ by Albus Dumbledore. "This book was written ages ago by the Headmaster, he used to teach Transfiguration here. It's got loads of great information in and it's actually quite an entertaining read." She handed the book to Evie who took it reverently. "You can check it out at the desk over there," she pointed to the large desk piled high with books where a slightly scary looking woman sat. "That's Madam Pince, the Librarian. She looks kind of mean but she'll treat you absolutely fine unless you damage one of her books."

"Thanks, Hermione," Evie was beaming as she checked out her book and left the library. Hermione still had about twenty minutes until lunch was over so she went over to the hundreds of tiny drawers filled with index cards and started looking for anything about Eira, she hoped to have some news for Bill when she wrote to him later.

* * *

Nothing! She had found no proper reference to the witch at all! She'd have to go back again tomorrow and try a different approach. Hermione always took it personally when the library failed to yield to her wishes. She worked up such a head of steam that she had to go for a walk around the lake to calm down. It was a nice evening and Hermione ended up sat under her favourite beach tree by the lake. She tried to take her mind off the library and her thoughts strayed to the letter, wiped magically blank, hidden in her beside table with a small bunch of flowers. Bill really was sweet, and interesting, and just plain hot.

She had never really let a guy get under her skin like this. She had thought that she liked Ron a couple of years ago but his awful attitude towards her had soon buried that idea. Then there had been Viktor; he had been remarkably sweet and she had gone to visit him after her Fourth Year. After lots of romantic sightseeing, hand-holding, and gentle kisses they had made love. It was sweet and romantic but Hermione really craved more than that. She slept with him a few times that before she left but never really experienced any kind of passion. They still wrote to each other occasionally but the romance had well and truly petered out. It had been just her and her hand for the last year or so.

Until Bill, she had never really experienced what it was like to crave someone, to constantly want to talk to them, to touch them. She wanted to run her nails over the hard muscles of his stomach, wanted his strong hands to pin her to a wall. She wanted to feel all of him. Her head was full of the clean, masculine scent of him and without really thinking it through, she took out some parchment and began to reply to his letter. It was time to put all the knowledge she had accumulated through late night readings of trashy romance novels to the test. She was going to tell him exactly what she wanted him to do to her.

* * *

The next morning Hermione was more than a little panicked. She had gone to bed thinking of contents of the letter she had just written and sent off with an owl. She felt euphoric and daring. She had put up a silencing charm around her four poster bed, closed the hangings and proceeded to tease herself stupid, all the while imagining that it was Bill's hands pinching her nipples, Bill's thumb trailing down her stomach, Bill's fingers flicking her swollen clit and slipping inside her dripping pussy. It was Bill's name she chanted as she came, her walls clamping down hard on the fingers inside her, a wave of pure bliss washing over her and she had fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.

Now, however, she was worrying. What was she thinking sending a letter like that? Bill would probably wake up to it this morning. What would he think of her?


End file.
